1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the use of consumables by a communicating appliance in a network, and more particularly, to selecting the appliance from a plurality of appliances that has a functionality associated with the consumable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Household appliances typically operate on an article using one or more cycles of operation. Many appliances perform the cycles of operation using a consumable. A consumable comprises a finite supply of at least one product or a perishable good that must be periodically replenished or replaced. For example, a washing machine might use a detergent and a fabric softener while washing clothes, or a dishwasher might use a detergent and a water softener while washing dishes. In some cases, appliances perform cycles of operation on a consumable as the article. A consumable may be a food item where, for example, a range oven or a microwave oven might perform a cycle of operation related to the consumable.
It is known to provide cycles of operation to an appliance based on a consumable, and to provide communication between the appliance and a device has or obtains information about the consumable. However, there is a need to improve communication with the appliance about the consumable.